Use this idea for a fantastic five minute handmade card to make gorgeous cards for any occasion.

While I didn’t officially time myself, I can confidently say that this is as close to a five minute handmade card that will wow their socks off as I have ever made. I made this card using just a pattern from Rubbernecker’s Welcome Spring 6×6 Paper Pad and their brand new Decorative Rectangle #2 die with both pieces cut from plain white card stock. I added a sentiment from their Best Friends set and then opted to make my own embellishment with their Flower Stems and Small Flowers #5 dies. Let me show you the steps for the making of this card and then I will share some ideas for how to use it to make, oh, a zillion more cards of all kinds.

Card Base and Decorative Frame

• Use white cardstock to cut and A2 sized card base and the Decorative Rectangle #2 sections.
• Cut a 5.50″ x 4.25″ designer paper layer from the Welcome Spring 6×6 Paper Pad.
• Apply ATG adhesive to the back of the layer and attach it to the card base.  
• Apply thin strips of mounting tape around the back border of the frame and attach it to the card base.

Sentiment Layer

• Insert the small decorative piece and the sentiment stamp in the MISTI and stamp using Nocturne ink.
• Apply pieces of mounting tape to the back of the decorative sentiment layer, line it up in the center of the frame and attach it to the card.   
• Use pink cardstock to cut one Small Flowers #5 and green cardstock to cut one of the Flower Stems.
• Place the flower face up on the molding pad and push down in the center using a small tipped stylus.
• Cut the individual leaves off the stem and attach five of them closely together on the layer using glossy accents.
• Attach the flower to the leaves using glossy accent.
• Finish by inserting and attaching a small white circle in the flower center using glossy accents.  Pro Tip: I save all the negative circles left over from cutting out eyelet dies.  They are perfect to use for flower centers.

Here’s what I used today from Rubbernecker:

5614D Decorative Rectangle #2 Die [ RBB ] Flower Stems Die 5147-05D [ RBB ] 5605-01D Small Flowers #5 Die [ RBB ] 3334 Best Friend Set [ RBB ] 2016 Welcome Spring Paper Pad [ RBB ]

And then for all the everyday stuff I use over and over you can check out all my other favorite crafting tools here.

Now, for this five minute handmade card, there are endless options for creating variations.

First, you can change the paper – the details in the two dies in that new Decorative Rectangle #2 set are ideally suited to just about any theme or pattern. And when you change the color of the two die cuts, you get different looks from the details. Example: Picture them in black over a Halloween paper, like the ones in the Spooktacular Pad!

Second – and this is pretty obvious – use ANY sentiment that states the message you want to convey and you don’t have to do anything else! Rubbernecker recently came out with some really great stamp sets of phrases and there are tons more in the store. I was tickled that Rubbernecker made that center spot large enough to accommodate lots of different stamp sizes.

Third, use whatever embellishment you think adds a little something something, or just leave it off if you love what you see! Think of all those little gems, 3D charms, leftover paper flowers from other projects – you DO keep them, right? Pop anything on there that complements your designs and you are done.

So tell me – how will use this idea for a five minute handmade card that looks like you spent WAY more time on it? Will it be your holiday card? Go-to birthday card? Invitation? I’d love to hear how this has inspired you!